A Fortunate Twist of Fate
by sophis-reinis
Summary: An Unfortunate Twist of Fate from Elizabeth's POV.  Can be read alone.  Full Summary inside.
1. A New Hope

**Full Summary: **We didn't learn much about Edward's mother, but Carlisle's little speech New Moon made me curious. What if she was changed, not be Carlisle, but by someone else? What if she went looking for her son, but found Bella instead?

_**Author's Note: **Okay, so I know I've been away for a while, but I was looking through all of the reviews for _Unfortunate Twist_ and I came across one that asked me to write the whole thing from _Elizabeth's _POV. The idea was tempting, and I hadn't written in such a long time, so I immediately got to work. I really hope you like it!_

_P.S. - The chapters won't be exactly aligned, mostly because there were some parts in _Unfortunate Twist_ That Elizabeth wasn't in, and some parts in this one that wasn't in the first one. Thanks for understanding :)_

**Elizabeth's POV:**

This was it. After decades of fruitless searching all over the world, I finally had a lead, and a good one, at that! I was finally going to find my son.

I smiled around at the small town that lay in front of me. I had cut through the woods, looking for a main road, and followed it to a row of secluded houses surrounded by forest. The disappointment I felt at not finding a trail to follow was masked by determination to find my Edward.

I carefully inspected the front of each and every house on the block, looking for a clue of some sort. The memory of our home in Chicago brought a sad smile to my lips as I looked a small blue home at the end of the road. It looked similar to my dear friend Rachel's house; though hers had been torn down to make room for a shopping mall a couple of years back.

I was on the porch in an instant, for no one was around. The doorbell looked old and I doubted it would work so I knocked instead. The girl that opened the door was not at all what I had been expecting, but could probably help, nonetheless. The young always seemed to have a knowledge of the different people in town, especially in small towns such as these.

The girl froze when she saw me. Not a rare reaction to the sight of someone like me: inhumanly beautiful, strange eyes, and unbelievable grace. Most people failed to notice the eyes, as their initial instinct is to flee, but this girl's eyes jumped right to mine. And then she fell over, gasping.

I guessed it was an asthma attack, or allergies, when she stood up again. "Are you alright? Can I help you?" I thought it ironic that, only moments ago, _I_ had wanted _her_ help.

She closed her eyes in a very shaky voice that did not at all with what she said next. "I'm fine." The girl was not a good liar. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

I did not want to force my problems on her, as she was obviously was having problems of her own, but my hesitation was quick, and I soon realized that five minutes of her time could not kill her. Besides, I had lived without my son for far too long, and I had no trouble assuming that this girl didn't know what it felt like to lose someone close. It was rare that anyone her age did these days.

"I'm looking for Carlisle Cullen. He's an old friend, and I haven't been in touch with him for a while. I was told to come here, to Forks, and this house looked like a good place to start." I guess that was honest enough…

She grimaced, saying, "He's not here." I frowned. So she knew him.

"Do you know where he _is_?"

She told me she didn't and inquired who I was. I wasn't sure if I should tell her my real name, for fear that she would create unnecessary questions about me, but then if she knew Carlisle, and she told him I was here, he would recognized my name.

My deliberations lasted only a second before I said, "My name is Elizabeth Mason. I'm an old family friend of Carlisle's."

Her response confused me. "I'm sorry; I seem to have heard you wrong. What did you say your name was?" Did she have hearing problems?

I answered slowly and clearly, but it came out as a question. "Elizabeth Mason?" Maybe I shouldn't have given her my real name…

Before she could say anything else –I wasn't even sure if she had heard me this time –the phone rang. She ran to answer it, and I followed her. She talked to someone, the voice sounded like a young man –before hanging the phone up and sighing. She stood like that for a few minutes.

"Um, excuse me?" I didn't mea to be rude, but I was so close to finding him.

She jumped as if forgetting I was even here. "Oh, I'm sorry. Is there anything else you need?" I took the not-so-subtle hint to leave, but I didn't listen to it.

"Carlisle Cullen?" I asked again, trying not to sound impatient.

"I don't know where he went. I'm sorry, but I have no idea where they are." She sounded pained as she said this, mimicking how I was feeling. Wait, though, had she said 'they'?

"They?"

"Um, his family." she answered, as if surprised that I didn't know about _them. _but our kind couldn't have children. She confirmed that they were adopted children, using the word 'obviously'. What did _that_ mean? Did she know about us? But sh wasn't finished talking. "And I did know them. They left, and won't be back for another couple hundred years. If they come back at all. I don't know where they went, and I think that's a good thing." She sounded as if she was trying herself of the last part, nodding to herself for confirmation.

Well, even if I had to start looking for him all over again, at least she could tell me if Edward was, in fact, even _with_ Carlisle. "Did he have a son named–"

She interrupted me with, "Yes, but again, I don't know where you will find them. I understand you want to find your son, but I don't know what to tell you."

She wanted me to leave, but she knew Edward! And, somehow, she knew I was his mother… maybe he had talked about me. I was again filled with love for my son, and I missed all over again.

She asked me to leave but I couldn't yet! "Could you maybe tell me about him? just so I know what to expect when I find him…" I really wanted to know if he was anything like he was almost a century earlier.

"Well, he, um, likes m-music, and wants to be a doctor." I almost collapsed. That was my _boy._

The girl, whose name I didn't even know but who had given me so much looked pained, and I knew it was my time to leave.

"_Thank you. _I really appreciate it." I started to turn but suddenly thought of something. This girl had graciously let me interrupt whatever was going wrong in her life. She had helped as much as she possibly could, even though it obviously had caused her pain. She was selfless, and very loving. "You are exactly the kind of girl I would've wanted for my Edward. I'm sure he would have agreed with me."

It was the truth. She was exactly the kind of girl Edward would have liked.

**_A/N: _**_Thanks for reading, and I really hope yo liked it! The next few chapters are written, and will be posted upon demand. Please review, I need to know if anybody actually want me to continue. _


	2. Protectors and Children

**_THank you so much to those of you who reviewed, Alerted, or Favorited! I'm glad that you're enjoying it so far!_**

Chapter 2 – Protectors and Children

I walked slowly back through the house towards the front door. I stopped dead on the porch. There was someone already standing there, staring at me. She was a vampire, and, from the color of her eyes, I guessed she had the same diet as me and Carlisle. Maybe one of Carlisle's children?

We stood there for a moment, staring at each other. The girl looked confused. I was about to introduce myself when I smelled something strange coming from the kitchen. I had smelled something similar a couple of years back, but this was a little different. Not as… fleshy.

Apparently the girl smelled it too, because her head whipped toward the stench, and then she was running around the side of the house, towards the back door I had seen when I stood in the kitchen. I followed her, not sure what we would find.

When I had circled the house, a few steps behind the girl, I found her staring, wide-eyed, at the two people in front of her. The human was staring right back her, but she had to look around to the boy standing, almost guarding, in front of her. He looked mature, but still young, and he was shaking. She looked like she was leaning on him. I briefly wondered if he had anything to do with the problems she was evidently having.

And then the vampire girl spoke. "Bella?"

She knew her by name? Definitely one of Carlisle's "children". Hope swelled inside me.

This Bella hugged her violently, sobbing. She called her "Alice."

"Bella . . . who is this?" Alice asked. "And what the hell is she doing here? What are _you_ doing here?"

Bella looked up, noticing me for the first time. I wouldn't be surprised if she saw the confusion on my face. I couldn't understand how these two could be so close. For the first time today, I noticed how good the human smelled. How did Alice stand it?

I decided it was time to introduce myself. "My name is Elizabeth Masen. I'm looking for Carlisle Cullen?" My last sentence came out a question.

Alice dropped the phone she had been holding, and started looking between me and Bella. I, too, was shocked by the fact that the first house I stopped at was exactly where I needed to be.

"Alice," Bella started, "How did you not see this coming?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out. And why did I see you jump off a cliff, when you obviously didn't?"

I watched in a total state of confusion as Bella didn't answer.

"Bella, why didn't you jump?" she asked again.

"Jacob came and talked some sense into me." She smiled up at the boy standing next to her. They both had calmed down some. Bella wasn't crying anymore, and this Jacob wasn't shaking. I realized that he was the source of the awful stench.

"Hmm. And I can't see anything now . . ." Alice stated.

Before I had time to ask what she meant, Bella asked, "Are you saying you can't see Jacob?"

"So it would seem," Alice murmured, deep in thought.

"What do you mean 'you can't see Jacob'?" I asked, thoroughly confused. Then I looked at the boy in question. "I suppose you are Jacob?"

He nodded stiffly, not looking at me. Well that was rude.

"Alice is . . . psychic," Bella explained, looking at me. "She sees the future, but indefinitely. The future will change if you change the path you're on. Alice saw me jump off the cliff, since that was what I planned to do, but she didn't see me decide not to, because Jacob was there, apparently."

"Psychic…" I responded. "Well, that's interesting."

"Bella!" Alice shouted suddenly. "You're friends with a werewolf!"

Werewolf? Bella answered my unspoken question. "Yes. Jake's pack is protecting me from Victoria."

"Victoria?" Alice asked, almost screeching.

"She came back – looking for me. She thinks it's my fault that James is dead."

I looked at Bella, concerned. She had a werewolf protecting her from a vampire that was hunting her?

Alice proceeded to curse. It sounded very wrong coming from her dainty mouth. "Victoria came back? She came back? Looking for you? That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard! Like it's your fault that her murderer of a mate got himself killed! I knew we should never have left! I TOLD him! I told him that you wouldn't be safe by yourself. And now look at you! Friends with the werewolves! Being chased down by random vampires with anger issues! Honestly Bella, only you could have attracted this much attention from all the monsters in the world!"

Jacob's eyes widened and he repositioned himself to be standing in front of Bella. She spoke from behind him. "Alice . . . Just calm down. Everything is going to be okay. Just calm down."

Alice grabbed her phone from Bella, who looked like she had forgotten she even had it, and dialed. I doubt Bella even saw her do it.

"Carlisle," she said into the phone, "We have a problem. I need you to get here as fast as you can. No she's fine. Yeah, but there's someone here that needs to see you," Pause, "Elizabeth Masen. She's here. Well, what do you want me to do?" pause, "I have a feeling she's not leaving for a while. No," pause, "Okay." She shut the phone.

I was silently crying for joy. She knew Carlisle! She had his phone number! He knew I was here, looking for my son! He could help me!

Bella took a deep breath. "Is this the first time you've tried to contact him?"

"I spent the first decade trying to perfect my diet. But then it became my full time occupation to try and find my son. Is anyone going to tell me where he is?"

Alice spoke up, "We should go inside. It's going to be dark soon, and I wouldn't be surprised if it started to rain."

We all filed in through the back door and into the living room, finding our own seats around the room. Jacob seemed reluctant to leave Bella's side. I wondered if they were dating. He looked very protective of her.

"Is Carlisle coming?" Bella asked Alice.

"He should be here in an hour. I don't know who's coming with him. But it won't be him, Bella."

I wondered who she meant by "him," but I didn't really care. Carlisle was coming!

I would finally see my son!

_**Okay, so I'll update just as soon as I get a couple reviews! Hope you like it so far!**_


	3. Family

_**Chapter 3 - Family**_

The hour seemed to drag on forever. We talked about everything that wasn't important. They asked me unimportant questions, seeming extremely interested. Not once did they allow the conversation to be about Edward. I wondered why they wouldn't talk about him. Once, I asked Bella how she knew my Edward. All she said was that they were in the same science class. But she must've been hiding something because a common science class would not be enough to blow their whole secret.

I also wondered why, because Alice and Bella seemed so close, the Cullens weren't there, and Bella "didn't know where they were." That was also a prohibited topic, apparently, because nobody would discuss it.

Once, someone named Charlie was mentioned, but they didn't make it sound like he was a Cullen.

I knew it must be getting it when Jacob's snores filled the room. Bella giggled and leaned into him, falling asleep shortly afterwards. I wondered again if they were a couple.

They were asleep a few minutes when Alice and I both heard the approach of more vampires. I almost jumped out of my seat. Bella and Jacob woke just before the doorbell rang. Bella's face froze in a panicked expression. She sighed and got up to open the door.

She never made, though, because a gargantuan man threw open the door and ran into the room with an excited, "Bella!"

"Emmett, please," a nice looking woman sighed. About four more people squeezed into the room behind these two. Among the was Carlisle. I couldn't take my eyes off of him. I missed the greetings, not listening until he noticed me. I couldn't believe that the key to my son was standing right in front of me. and he looked exactly the same.

"Elizabeth Masen." Carlisle murmured. "I can't believe it. I just don't believe it. One minute you were on your death bed, making your last request, and the next minute you were gone. Dr. Holmanns told me he had taken you to the morgue. I figured that was it. I never dreamed I would ever see you again."

"Dr. Cullen . . . Dr. Cullen. You look exactly the same." This was as coherent as I was able to manage.

I hardly noticed when Carlisle turned to Jacob. Or when they carried on a conversation. Or when Bella got up and ran into the bathroom. I did notice, however, when Jacob got up to check on her, and when they walked back in, Bella blushing profusely.

Carlisle looked back at me. "It's so nice to see you healthy again. I thought for sure that you were gone. It was terrible."

I opened my mouth to respond, but closed it again. I couldn't make small talk with him. not now. not when I was so close. So I said instead, "Do you remember the last thing I asked of you?" I knew, of course, that he remembered.

He smiled gently. "Of course. And, of course, I fulfilled your wishes."

My dead heart leaped. "SO where is he?" I tried not to sound rude, but I don't think I succeeded.

Carlisle looked a little uncomfortable, and glanced at Bella. Jacob had pulled her to her feet and was pulling her towards the door. They said goodbye –I wasn't listening to the actual words –and then Bella came back in, looking pained. I was beginning to think that was her usual look.

I was about to remind Carlisle of my question, but suddenly Alice was. . . . _falling over. _She looked unfocused for a second, but then looked up at Bella with agonized eyes. "Bella!" she grabbed the girl's arm and looked into her eyes. If she could cry, she probably would have. "Edward!"

I was instantly worried. What was wrong with my son?

Carlisle asked, "What is it Alice?"

"I – I don't – he knows. Who told him? How did he find out about her?" she was literally gasping for air.

"Alice," the nice looking woman said soothingly. She was obviously the mother figure. "It's okay if he knows about her. She's his mother, after all."

"No, not her. Bella. Someone told him she jumped, and he thinks she's dead." What was Alice talking about? I was relieved when nobody else seemed to know what she was talking about, glad it wasn't just me. it was surprising, then, when _Bella_ spoke up, not at all confused.

"Okay . . ." she said slowly, obviously calmer than before, "So we go find him and sort it out. What's the problem?"

She shook my head. "He's gone to Italy."

Bella jumped up immediately and ran to her room without a pause. We heard her rummaging through her drawers, muttering incoherently to herself.

What the hell was going on?

Bella came running down the stairs two t a time. "Alice, I don't have enough for the whole flight. I –"

"Bella, think about what you're doing." Alice said pleadingly. "You have to realize how dangerous this is. Think it through." I couldn't believe she knew exactly what was going on. It didn't take her two seconds to figure it out. Amazing.

"Alice, would you think it through? I know exactly how dangerous it is, but I can't just sit here. If anything were to happen, especially because of me. I couldn't. . ." She trailed off.

"Bella," Alice whispered, "Please, you do realize it might not be around trip? We might not make it back."

She bit her lip, but looked even more determined than before. Everyone else, including myself, just looked around uncomprehendingly.

"You would come with me?"

"Of course, I'm not going to let you go alone, Bella! But we may be too late."

She was shaking her head. "We can't be too late, Alice," she whispered, "We have to _go."_

Jasper stood up abruptly, almost knocking over the coffee table. "Wait a minute. What's going on? Is there something wrong with Edward?"

I stood up then, too, looking concerned. "What's wrong with my Edward? Why is he in Italy?"

Bella took a deep breath, turning to Alice again. "On second thought, I think it would be much faster if I took your car, while you stayed here to explain. It would do no good for the whole family to come along. That would only slow us down and put us in more danger. They will definitely be intimidated by Emmett, and from what I have heard, the Volturi aren't' the kind of people that like to be intimidated. Besides, he needs to see me. That's the only way to convince him that I'm alive, and then everything will be back to normal, and you all can go back to your happy little family."

She looked broken, even as the acid dropped into her tone.

"Bella," Alice whispered, "I am not leaving you to defend yourself against the Volturi. But you're right, you are the only person that can do this, and it would more harm than good if we all went." She turned to everyone, explaining, "Edward thinks Bella is dead. He has decided that he can't live with that and has turned to the Volturi to . . ." she trailed off, so Bella picked up for her.

"He's going to ask them to–" she took a deep breath, "k-ki . . . get rid of him." She winced as she said it.

My head was spinning. It was just too much information to absorb at one time. My Edward, _my Edward, _was asking the Volturi to _kill him_? _Why? _ Because he thought that Bella was dead? Why did it matter? I mean, Bella was a lovely kid, and she seemed like a nice girl, but why did she seem so important to the Cullen family? I had noticed throughout the night how... Protective they seem of her. They would look at her nervously whenever she looked sad, and their entrance was enough to prove they care about her. But why?

Rosalie stood up looking outraged. "This is all your fault!" she screamed at Bella. I was beginning to believe she was right. He wouldn't be in any danger if you hadn't been so stupid! And now my brother thinks he has to play Romeo for you!" She fell into the big one's arms, sobbing pitiful, dry sobs.

Bella looked shocked. Nobody moved for a few seconds before she spoke up. "I know, but I'm going to fix."

She knows this is her fault. She knows she has to fix it. And she's willing to risk her life to do it. There was something really special about this girl.

But then Alice spoke, sounding just as outraged as Rosalie had.

"If I remember correctly, Rosalie, Bella didn't even jump off the cliff, but you were the one who told him she did. We wouldn't be in this situation if you had just stuck to the agreement and _not told him!"_

Jasper stood up then, giving Rosalie no chance to retort. He wrapped his arms around Alice's tiny waist and whispered into her ear. "You have to be careful. I can't lose you. Promise me you'll do whatever it takes to come home. _Anything._"

"I promise, Jazz. I'll be fine. But we need to do this alone. Shh, I know what I'm doing, and I'll do only that. We will come home."

I could tell he wanted to tell her that wasn't good enough, but he didn't have time to respond, because Alice was pulling Bella by the hand toward the door.

The last thing I heard of them was the car driving away. And then the room erupted in chaos.


	4. Some Bonds Can't Be Broken

_Okay, this is one of those chapters that wasn't in the original because, at this time in the story, Bella and Alice are in (or on their way to) Volterra. _

**Chapter 4 – Some Bonds Can't Be Broken**

I sat very still in a battered recliner while panic set in. Jasper and Rosalie looked very close to fight, while Emmett held back the latter. Carlisle stood in between the two, trying to calm them down. Esme sat in a corner, sobbing. I decided I would sit by her. She seemed to need company.

I sat down in the vacant chair next to her and patted her back. She looked up at me, and I could see the utter pain in her eyes.

"I know he's your son," she started shakily, "But I've thought of him as my son for the last seventy odd years. Forgive me if I sound brash, but I can't lose him. I realize that's how you've probably felt since the turn of the century, but I love him too."

I wasn't really surprised. As soon as Bella had mentioned a family, I had known there was a possibility that he had a new mom, but I was glad it was Esme. She had love practically sewn into her bones.

I was about to tell her how happy I was that he had her, but she spoke again.

"I don't know what I would do if Bella wasn't so brave."

This surprised me. I hadn't thought the Cullens, save Alice, were particularly fond of the human.

Esme saw the surprise on my face. "He loves her, Edward does. She became his only reason for living. But… she was hurt. It was an accident, of course, but he knew that he couldn't keep her safe from himself, so we left. I can't bear to think of all the pain it must have caused her, poor dear.

"But I do know that Edward couldn't be with us. He left to wander on his own. We've been keeping track f him, for his protection, and because we love him, but something went wrong. Alice… she's psychic. But only to a certain point." I nodded. I knew this of course.

"She saw Bella jump off the cliff, and she didn't see her come back up. We thought she was dead. Edward found out, and, apparently couldn't deal with the pain. He decided to end his own life."

Her voice broke off as she started to sob again. My whole body had one cold. I, nevertheless, continued patting her back. Soon, though, I had fallen into her arms, and we held each other as sobs rocked through us.

At one point, when we had all settled down again, Carlisle suggested that we move our party to his house, for fear of Charlie coming home and finding us. I figured Charlie was Bella's dad, but I didn't ask.

We all helped clean up the mess we had made, none of us speaking. Then we filed out, Carlisle closing the door behind us.

_Sorry it was so short, but I thought we needed a filler and I really wanted to incorporate some Esme/Elizabeth bondage. Plus, I thought it was a good place to end… Review please!_


	5. Stories

**Chapter 5 – Stories**

The Cullens' house was magnificent. The whites of the furniture and walls blended beautifully with the woodsy landscape outside. And the whole house was complimented by the giant windows. It was exactly the kind of house my Edward would love.

I walked forward in awe, taking in my surroundings as I went. The others dispersed into various corners of the house while Esme and Carlisle busied themselves with turning on lights and taking the covers off of the furniture. Although it was so beautiful, I could tell that it hadn't been lived in for some time. There were some lone cobwebs in the corners that Esme wiped away immediately.

I walked slowly up to a platform in the corner. There was some kind of large furnishing covered in a white sheet. I slowly pulled off the sheet to reveal a beautiful white piano. I knew it couldn't have been played in months, but it still looked beautiful, and I'm sure it played the same way.

Esme came to stand behind me.

"That is Edward's. He plays beautifully. He composes, too."

I sighed. "I tried to get him to take piano lessons, but my husband adamantly refused. Shame, really, Edward was interested for a while."

"He only plays when he's happy. I don't know if he noticed that, but I did. He played that piano more times this summer than I can remember him ever playing."

"Why is that?"

"Bella," she answered easily. I was shocked by the amount of emotion he must have felt toward her.

The rest of the family came back down then, and we all found seats on the perfectly white couches. Carlisle sat down next to Esme and put his arm around her shoulders. Emmett did the same to Rosalie, and that was when I noticed Jasper's absence.

Carlisle answered my unasked question. "He's in his room. I think he's on the phone with Alice."

I nodded. He must miss her.

Rosalie leaned her head on Emmett's shoulder, looking tired. I looked around in the silence.

"Elizabeth," Esme started. "Would you like to see Edward's room?"

I nodded and got up. "Yes, very much so."

She nodded and walked to the staircase. I followed her up three flights of steps until she finally stopped and pointed me to the door at the end of the hallway. I nodded silently, and watched her flit back down. I took a deep breath and walked forward slowly, turning the knob, and entering my son's bedroom.

Seeing his room brought back a flood of memories. Some Edward probably didn't even remember, he was so small. I remembered setting up his first bassinet, before he was even born. I remembered laying in it the quilt that my mother had sewn before she died. The little quilt that was for my son "When you and Edward finally get to having sons." The little quilt that later turned into his 'blanky'. The blue one with the little lions on it.

My breath hitched as I pictured my little boy, wrapped in his blanky. The little boy that later turned the man that wanted to fight for his country. And now the man that would die for the love of his life.

I wandered around the room, looking at his everything from the clothes to the music. He had quite the taste in music. Such a large collection. I stared at his shelves upon shelves of CD's, fruitlessly trying to find an organization pattern.

I lost track of time. I briefly remembered the sun coming up through the wall of windows. I was too lost in memories.

But then Carlisle was in the doorway, looking at me with a sad smile. He nodded to the stairs and I nodded, following him into the living room.

I looked at Esme gratefully, sitting down next to her. "Thank you."

She smiled and patted my knee.

Carlisle sat down on the couch opposite us and looked at me. "Now it's your turn."

I told him my story, from my transformation to my search for Edward. My audience of four listened attentively, gasping in the right places and even commenting now and then. Jasper was still nowhere to be found.

And then Esme told me her story. She told me about her hateful husband, and her late infant son. She held nothing back, for which I was grateful. I wanted to be friends with her.

Finally, after what seemed like days of storytelling and sharing, Carlisle told me what I really wanted to know. He spoke of 'his son' with high reverence. He loved him. He told me of Edward's passion for music and his wishes to someday be strong enough to be a doctor. He told me of his desire to be good, not a monster, and about his overall goodness.

I smiled as I listened to Carlisle talk about my son like that. It warmed my heart knowing that Edward was never left without a family. He has been, and always be loved.


	6. Love

_**Okay, here it is! The final chapter! Yay! Hope you like it!**_

**Chapter 6 – Love **

It was almost three days after Alice and Bella had left when Jasper finally reappeared. He came out of his room with a huge smile on his face. I hoped that meant good news. Happiness radiated off of him as I followed him out of Edward's room to the living room. I couldn't help getting caught up in the happy atmosphere.

He sat down on the arm chair in the corner of the room with the huge smile still in place. I sat down next to Esme again and we all looked at him expectantly.

"Alice called," he said. We all sighed in relief. "She said they just got onto the plane to take them into Seattle. She said Bella was dog tired but refused to sleep, and that that was frustrating Edward to no end."

A bubble of laughter escaped Esme's lips, and soon we were all laughing. In relief, joy, it didn't really matter. What mattered was that they were safe and on their way home.

I could finally meet my son. And then Jasper continued. "She told me that neither of them had told Edward about you, Elizabeth, but that we should probably wait to tell him until after he got Bella home and to bed. She said she had 'special plans' that needed to be discussed, and that we would be free to do so while he was watching over Bella."

I nodded understandingly. Of course he needed to be with his Bella. They hadn't seen each other in quite some time. I suddenly understood Bella's pain upon our meeting.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully. I walked around Edward's room some more, Emmett and Rosalie went out for a hunt, and Esme stayed in to finish putting her house together while Carlisle went to the hospital to get his job back. Jasper stayed in his chair, awaiting – very impatiently – the return of his Alice.

I had no idea what time it was when Carlisle came home announcing that Alice, Bella, and Edward would be arriving at the airport in a few hours. Jasper jumped right up and walked out the front door, climbing into a Volvo that was parked out front. Rosalie and Emmett followed suit quickly. Esme came to stand by me.

"I would like for you to come with us, Dear, but Alice thinks it would be best to wait." I heard the question in her statement. _Do you mind staying here until Edward is ready?_

"I think that's a good idea, Esme. Edward must be pretty overwhelmed, and Bella will be tired. Besides, I've waited this long, I can wait another day or two." I smiled to show that I was sincere and she nodded, smiling back.

She and Carlisle hopped into an already running Mercedes and I watched them drive off. After they were out of sight, I walked back up to Edward's room and sat on his couch.

I thought about the love Edward and Bella felt for each other. I wondered what his reaction to me would be like. I worried again if he would even want to let me into his life. I remembered all of our moments together, his first steps, his excitement at joining the War, and his ragged breathing as the Influenza slowly sucked his life away.

I skipped over that last one quickly, not wanting to remember my baby's last heartbeats. Instead I thought about how he has probably changed over time. His relationship with Bella. His feeling about his family. I wondered if he would accept me into his family as a second mother.

I must have been sitting there for a while because soon I heard the cars pull back into the garage. I ran down to the living room to greet them.

I saw through the window Alice step into Jasper's arms. They stood that way for a while. I could feel the love emanating off of them.

Emmett came bounding up the steps and into the house, Esme and Carlisle following slowly after. I noticed Rosalie sitting in the car, head resting on the steering wheel. She didn't move.

"You should've seen her!" Emmett shouted, laughing as he sat on the couch and pulled out a remote. "She couldn't even walk by herself!" I raised an eyebrow.

Esme sat down next to me on the loveseat, shaking her head. "There is nothing funny about that, Emmett. The poor girl risked her life, and probably hasn't slept in close to three days! She was dead on her feet!"

Carlisle sat down next to Emmett.

"Did you not see her?" Emmett asked incredulously. Like he didn't understand why his mother didn't find it as funny as he did. "She has a hard time walking on a _good_ day! This was just hilarious! He had to practically carry her!" I could feel a smile start to play on my face at the mention of Edward.

Carlisle chuckled. "Oh, I think he would have been carrying her even if she hadn't been tired." He didn't to mind. I didn't either for that matter.

Esme beamed and turned to me. "Oh I can't wait for you to see them together! They are so perfect for each other, it's like gravity!" I chuckled, just as excited as she was. I heard a laugh from outside and then Alice and Jasper were standing in the doorway. I glanced out the window again and saw Rosalie still sitting there, head down.

"Everyone," Alice called playfully, "Can I have your attention!" Jasper snickered. She elbowed him in the ribs and continued. "As you all know, Edward doesn't know about you, Elizabeth, and I have taken it upon myself to make it a surprise. I think that _Bella_ should be the one to introduce Edward to his mother. I think that would be the perfect homecoming gift." My eyes widened. Alice truly was a genius. "Plus," she continued, "He will never let her out of his sight again." I grinned but quickly realized she might not be kidding.

"I think that's a _wonderful_ idea, Alice." I told her, enjoying the smile it brought.

We were all sitting around the living room calmly, awaiting the sound of car tires on road that would alert us to their presence. Well, they were calm. I was bouncing up and down on my seat.

Finally, we heard them. There were no sounds coming from inside the car, excepting Bella's heartbeat and the slow breathing of the three we had been waiting for. I silently thrilled. _Three._ _Edward_ was in that car. The Volvo came to a slow stop in front of the house and I could see through the window Bella smile gently at someone hidden from view.

"Welcome home, Edward." She said softly. She no sooner said that than they were out of the car and he was holding her. My heart expanded as I saw the back of his head, covered in his father's bronze main.

"That sounds so perfect coming from you," he whispered. "I am truly home now." Esme looked like she was about to cry.

She grinned and pulled him towards the door. Unfortunately, this meant that he was, once again, out of view. There was a pause as they all stopped on the porch, and Carlisle grinned, getting off the couch.

The next thing I knew, I was looking at my son. He had walked in, holding Bella in his arms like a child. At some point, Bella left his arms, but I couldn't tell you when. I hadn't looked away from my baby's face. Distantly, I heard a chuckled, and, in the back of my mind, I assumed it was Emmett.

My son's mouth was open and his eyes were round. He recognized me. we just stoof there for who knows how long until Carlisle stepped in.

"Son, we have a guest." I marveled at how close he and Edward were. "She has a very fascinating story, if you would like to hear it."

Edward glanced down at Bella, still standing at his side. "You knew?"

She nodded slowly. "We all wanted it to be a surprise. She came here before any of you had gotten back. She said she was looking for Carlisle, but I knew who she was. And then Alice showed, and then you went to Volterra, and everything went haywire. We wanted you to know, but we didn't want to overwhelm you."

He looked back at me. "How…?"

Carlisle chuckled. We all looked at him. He gestured towards the couches, saying, "Why don't we all sit down. Elizabeth has a fascinating story for us all."

We sat, I never taking my eyes off of my son. Over ninety years later, and everything had worked itself out perfectly.

_**Okay, whadyah think? I'm really happy about the way this turned out, how 'bout you? Review please **___


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